Download Propaganda Techniques

Critical Thinking
PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES
Propaganda: The art of persuasion
 It is the spreading of ideas, information or rumor
for the purpose of helping or injuring an
institution, a cause or a person.
 Propaganda is intended to make us accept or
approve something without looking closely at the
evidence.
 Most of the propaganda devices utilize emotion
and avoid critical thinking.
Types of Propaganda
 Testimonial
 Facts and Figures
 Glittering Generalities
 Repetition
 Transfer
 Weasel Words
 Plain Folks
 Unfinished Comparisons
 Bandwagon
 Water is Wet Claim
 Name Calling
 Card Stacking
 Compliment the
Consumer
 Hidden Fears
 Rhetorical Question
 Snob Appeal
Why Study Propaganda?
 Save you lots of money.
 Assist you in making better political
decisions.
 Help you distinguish between fact and
opinion.
 Aid you in persuading others.
Card Stacking
 The strategy of showing the product’s best features,
telling half-truths, and omitting or lying about its
potential problems.
 Example:
 Drug companies do this frequently in ads in which they
skim over the possible harmful side effects of their
products. Facts are Selected and presented which
most effectively strengthen and authenticate the point
of view of the company.
Testimonial
 The use of well-known, respected people to
endorse a product or service.
 Examples:
 Oscar Meyer created an ad for its food products
using George Foreman, a recognizable boxer, as
the celebrity providing a testimonial for the
product.
 Michael Jordan is the most commonly used sports
figure for testimonials.
 Tiger Woods lends his name to Nike.
Glittering Generalities
 The act of referring to words or ideas that evoke a
positive emotional response from an audience.
Virtue words are often used.
 Examples:
 Food products will quickly label their foods as low fat hinting
that they are more healthy, when, in fact, the product might be
high in calories.
 Advertisers will sometimes give an incomplete comparison like
“better tasting.” Better tasting than what? Spam? Dirt?
 Cascade claims that their detergent will leave your dishes
virtually spotless. In other words, there will be some spots.
 Politicians will associate themselves with concepts which have
positive connotations. For example, George W. Bush claimed
to have a compassionate conservatism as opposed to more
negative reference to the conservative right.
Transfer
 The act of relating something or someone we
like or respect with a product. Symbols are
constantly used in this form of propaganda.
 Examples:
 On TV commercials, actors in white lab coats tell
us that Brand X cold medicine is better that Brand
Y.
 During the 2000 campaign, Gov. George Bush
used the American flag as part of his logo.
 During the 2000 campaign, Vice President Al Gore
used the colors, stars and stripes of the flag for his
logo.
Plain Folks
 The use of everyday people to sell a product
or service. Speakers and ads appear to make
the person to be “one of the people.”
 Examples:
 America’s recent presidents have all been
millionaires, but they have gone to great lengths
to present themselves as ordinary citizens.
 Bill Clinton eats at McDonalds.
 Ronald Reagan chops wood.
 Jimmy Carter was an humble peanut farmer.
Bandwagon
 Bandwagon attempts to persuade the target
audience to take a course of action "everyone
else is taking." "Join the crowd." This
technique reinforces people's natural desire
to be on the winning side.
 Examples:
 McDonalds touts that billions have been served.
 World War II posters encouraged others to buy
bonds by showing how many other people had
bought one.
Name Calling
 The use of names that evoke fear or hatred in
the viewer. The name-calling technique links
a person, or idea, to a negative symbol.
 Examples:
 A poster that is a play on World War II posters.
Communism is equated with downloading MP3s.
 Bill Gates has also been subject to a little name
calling.
Hidden Fears
 Suggesting that a person or product will
protect you against something unpleasant
or dangerous.
 Examples:
 If you don't want "ring around the collar," use a
particular detergent.
 This person will protect America against
terrorism.
Snob Appeal
 Suggesting that association with a person
or product can make you special
 Examples:
 The people who drive this kind of car wear
fancy clothes, live in mansions, or go to great
places.
Facts and Figures
 Using tests, statistics or information that
sounds "scientific" to prove that one
product or person is better than another.
 Examples:
 "Four out of five dentists recommend this
toothpaste."
 "73% of Americans believe this candidate will
do a better job - can they all be wrong?"
Unfinished Comparisons
 Comparing a product or person to another,
without providing the other half of the
comparison.
 Examples:
 "This soap cleans better!" - better than what?
 "This politician works harder for America." -
harder than whom?
Repetition
 Repeating a name, slogan or product over
and over in the same advertisement.
 Examples:
 "Buy it for less at Video Only" repeated at least
four times in the same advertisement
 "He says he didn't know" repeated over and
over about a politician in the same
advertisement.
Weasel Words or Empty Phrases
 Using broad promises or phrases that
don't really mean anything.
 Examples:
 "With this diet, you can loose up to 100
pounds."
 "Vote for this politician. He's a real American!“
 "Hot Nestlés cocoa is the very best."
Remember the "best" and "better" routine.
 "Listerine fights bad breath." "Fights," not
"stops."
The Unfinished Claim
 The unfinished claim is one in which the ad
claims the product is better, or has more of
something, but does not finish the
comparison.
 Examples:
 "Magnavox gives you more." More what?
 "Anacin: Twice as much of the pain reliever doctors
recommend most." This claim fits in a number of
categories but it does not say twice as much of
what pain reliever.
 "Supergloss does it with more color, more shine,
more sizzle, more!"
Water is Wet Claim
 "Water is wet" claims say something about the
product that is true for any brand in that product
category, (for example, "Schrank's water is really
wet.") The claim is usually a statement of fact,
but not a real advantage over the competition.
 Examples:
 "Mobil: the Detergent Gasoline." Any gasoline acts as
a cleaning agent.
 "Great Lash greatly increases the diameter of every
lash."
 "Rheingold, the natural beer." Made from grains and
water as are other beers.
 "SKIN smells differently on everyone." As do many
perfumes.
Compliment the Consumer
 This kind of claim butters up the consumer by
some form of flattery.
 Examples:
 "We think a cigar smoker is someone special."
 "If what you do is right for you, no matter what
others do, then RC Cola is right for you."
 "You pride yourself on your good home
cooking...."
 "The lady has taste."
 "You've come a long way, baby."
The Rhetorical Question
 This technique demands a response from the
audience. A question is asked and the viewer or
listener is supposed to answer in such a way as to
affirm the product's goodness.
 Examples:
 "Plymouth--isn't that the kind of car America wants?"
 "Shouldn't your family be drinking Hawaiian Punch?"
 "What do you want most from coffee? That's what you
get most from Hills."
 "Touch of Sweden: could your hands use a small
miracle?"
Homework – Choose 1:
 Find 10 examples of propaganda techniques
used in online ads. Print out the ads and show
where the technique was used.
 Watch TV for an hour and record the time slot,
how many commercials there were, what they
were advertising, and what techniques they
used.
 Go through a magazine and record the number
of pages total, how many pages have ads, name
10 companies that advertised in them, and tell
which methods were used in each of those 10
ads.